Related Links

Reports and Resources

Judicial Branch (AB 1473) Five-Year Infrastructure PlanEach year, in accordance with Assembly Bill 1473, Judicial Council staff submits an updated Judicial Branch Five-Year Infrastructure Plan to the state Department of Finance, as part of the process to request funding for courthouse capital projects for the upcoming fiscal year. The plan also includes an annual update to the trial court capital-outlay plan adopted by the Judicial Council, summarizing new construction, addition, and major renovation projects that remain to be funded.

Judicial Branch Capital Program Management ManualAdopted in April 2014The manual documents uniform policies and procedures to guide strategic management of the branch’s courthouse construction program, helping to ensure uniform and accountable court construction processes. The manual is a significant part of 137 recommendations made in an audit report of the capital program commissioned by the council and prepared by Pegasus Global Holdings.

Review of Judicial Branch Construction Procurement Practices

Senate Bill 78, enacted in 2011, required the Judicial Council to report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on the process, transparency, costs, and timeliness of its procurement practices for each court construction project completed between Jan 1, 2008, and Jan 1, 2013. The legislation also required the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) to compare the costs and schedules of construction projects delivered by the judicial branch to similar projects completed by the Department of General Services.

Appellate Court Facilities GuidelinesAdopted in 2002Addresses the specific functional components required in each area of most appellate courthouses in California, including such environmental conditions as accessibilityReporting Forms: Facilities Deviations

Senate Bill 1407This legislation, passed in September 2009, launched an unprecedented courthouse rebuilding program in California by designating judicial branch revenues to fund up to $5 billion in lease-revenue bonds that will finance 41 new construction and renovation projects.

Policies

Facility Modifications PolicyUpdated Dec 2014Methodology and process for prioritizing modifications to be made to appellate and trial court facilities for which responsibility or title has been transferred to the state

Third-Party Use of Trial Court FacilitiesAdopted March 2010Enables third parties to apply for a license to use trial court facilities for civic, community, educational, cultural, and other events. Trial courts use the corresponding AOC-administered program to manage such facility uses.

Seismic Assessment Report: Preliminary FindingsJanuary 2004In November 2003, the Administrative Office of the Courts completed a seismic assessment of court buildings in California. The assessment was mandated by the Trial Court Facilities Act of 2002, the law that specifies the process for the transfer of ownership and management responsibility for approximately 451 of California's court buildings from the counties to the State. The findings are preliminary since additional information on particular buildings may be forthcoming during the transfer negotiations. Ratings for individual buildings will be periodically added to the report when the building owners and State have concluded the due diligence steps in the real estate transfer process.